Hello, Sarah Jane
by darkestboy
Summary: Following the advice of a recent encounter, the Doctor pays a Christmas visit to an old friend. Set after The Runaway Bride.


**Name: **Hello, Sarah Jane  
**Characters:** 10th Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith.  
**Synopsis:** Following the advice of a recent encounter, the Doctor pays a Christmas visit to an old friend. Set after _The Runaway Bride._

It was Christmas Eve and while everyone else in the world was inside with each other preparing for the chaos of Christmas Day or coming back from the pub, Sarah Jane Smith found herself coming back from midnight mass.

She wasn't an especially religious woman but she enjoyed the service and the walk home in the snow was nice for clearing her thoughts. Sarah Jane did however think it would've been nicer had the snow actually been real but she had guessed that the spaceship shaped like a Christmas star was now the very thing all over London that everyone else thought was snow.

"The Doctor would know for certain," Sarah Jane murmured to herself as she went inside her house, closing the door behind her. "If he were here."

She was eager to see K9 but was more surprised to see a blue box standing in the middle of her living room and a tall skinny man who looked soaked also standing there with a sombre expression on his face.

"Doctor?" Sarah Jane went towards her friend and was taken aback when he instinctively hugged her. She sensed something was amiss.

"Hello, Sarah Jane," the Doctor said, breaking from the hug. "It's been a while."

"Yes, yes, it has," Sarah Jane replied cautiously as she noticed that he seemed to be alone. "Is everything alright? Where's Rose?"

"She's gone," the Doctor said softly.

"Gone?"

"There was a battle at Canary Wharf a couple of months ago. Torchwood, Daleks, Cybermen and -," the Doctor told her, before Sarah Jane cut in.

"- Oh my God, Doctor," Sarah Jane said softly as she went in to comfort the Doctor again. She had heard about Canary Wharf but it hadn't dawned on her that Rose's name had been on the list of the dead. "I'm so sorry."

"She didn't die, Sarah," the Doctor replied when he realised what his former companion was thinking. "There was a Void and there was also a parallel world. She's trapped there with her mother and Mickey. I tried to stop it but I couldn't."

Sarah Jane said nothing more as she gave the Doctor more time to explain the story in detail and what he had been up to prior to showing up in her living room that Christmas night. After an awkward pause, both the Doctor and Sarah Jane just looked at each other before the latter broke the silence between them.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think both of us could do with a drink, don't you?" Sarah Jane smiled as she headed into the kitchen and produced a bottle of the finest brandy the Doctor had seen with as well as two glasses at the ready.

Sarah Jane then headed back into the living room and handed the Doctor a glass and began pouring him a drink before then pouring one for herself and placing the bottle on a coffee table she had purchased recently. Both she and the Doctor sat down on the couch, stirring their drinks for a moment. The Doctor could see that Sarah Jane had a small Christmas tree in the corner and a few decorations, not too extravagant though.

"Early Christmas present?" the Doctor asked, noticing that a ribbon was still attached to the bottle of brandy. "I bet I can guess from whom too."

"He sends his regards," Sarah Jane smiled softly. "And also says to pay him a visit sometime, Doctor."

"I promise," the Doctor replied as he took a sip of the brandy that Sarah Jane had given him. "It's good stuff."

"Yes, it is. Not my usual sort of drink though," Sarah Jane said, placing the glass down on a coffee table. "I was thinking about you before you called. I saw all that snow in the air, realised it wasn't snow and thought to myself that you'd know what it was."

"Remains of a Racnoss spaceship," the Doctor answered, finishing off his drink and leaving the empty glass on the coffee table. "I tried to reason with their Empress, things got out of hand."

For a moment, those very words worried Sarah Jane. She looked at him closer and could see the darkness behind his eyes, the sorrow, anger, regret. She realised that a lot had happened since their last encounter but at the same time, he was her friend and she wanted to do or say something to comfort him.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Doctor," Sarah Jane said, trying to sound comforting. "But you shouldn't be alone either. Not on this day of all days."

"Why, what day is it?" The Doctor sounded coy but he had looked at the clock on Sarah Jane's mantelpiece, another gift he realised and it was 1.45am from what he could see. "Ah, yes, Christmas Day."

"Merry Christmas, Doctor," Sarah Jane smiled. "In a couple of hours, I suppose we could have some Christmas dinner. I did actually buy a turkey this year, small one but I'd say more than enough for two. How about it?"

"You don't have to, you know," the Doctor seemed a little unsure. "I'm fine, really."

"Even so, I meant it about you not being alone today," Sarah Jane said simple. The Doctor knew there and then she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"In that case, how can I possibly resist?" the Doctor said with a smile, as he noticed Sarah Jane was trying to stifle a yawn. "You should get some rest."

"Only if you promise to be here once I wake up, Doctor," Sarah Jane replied a little warily. "I know you better than you think."

"Promise, scout's honour," the Doctor said, before handing her his TARDIS key. "Get some rest, Sarah Jane. I'll be here when you wake up. I might even have a present for you."

"It's like being a child again, Doctor," Sarah Jane smiled. "If you need somewhere to sleep there's a spare bed on your right from the bathroom."

"I'll keep that in mind," the Doctor replied, watching as Sarah Jane managed to stifle a yawn before saying a goodnight to him as she then retired to bed.

When Sarah Jane woke up about seven hours later, she could hearing singing in the kitchen and smelled cooking. To her amusement, she walked in on the Doctor wearing a festive apron that her editor had given her as part of a Secret Santa. He was practically in his own world, cooking the turkey and potatoes at the same time while singing to himself, slightly off-key. At first Sarah Jane wondered if he had drank more of the brandy but noticed that it had been left on the kitchen untouched from it's previous consumption.

"Well, I wish it could be Christmas every day," the Doctor sang to himself as he turned around and noticed that Sarah Jane had been standing there with a smile on her face and he looked a little flustered. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Sarah Jane said with amusement. "All of time and space and several faces later and only now you really sing?"

"Hidden talent," the Doctor smiled at her. "Besides, it does make the time fly when you're waiting for a turkey to cook. I didn't realise preparing a Christmas dinner had to be so linear."

"You learn something new every day," Sarah Jane laughed a little. "I'll set the table. That way, I can say I helped just a bit, eh Doctor?"

"Okay," the Doctor smiled as he held up a wooden spoon that he intended to use for stirring vegetables. "But after that, you relax. Dinner should be in another hour, give or take."

"I'll relax," Sarah Jane smiled, grabbing some plates, knives and forks and heading towards the living room.

The Doctor had been right about dinner being another hour but when it was cooked, it was the most delicious Christmas dinner Sarah Jane had tasted in many a few years. The next couple of hours had flown by. They watched the Queen's speech as well as a few Christmas specials on the television tucked into some trifle that Sarah Jane had managed to have made a little bit in advance and drank the remainder of the brandy the Brigadier had given her but come six o'clock, both the Doctor and Sarah Jane knew what was coming next.

"I should get going," the Doctor stood up as he headed towards his TARDIS, opening the door and turning around to face his companion from the inside of his spaceship.

"Thank you."

"What for?" Sarah Jane asked, her hands folded for a moment before she stepped a little closer towards the Doctor.

"Just ... everything," the Doctor admitted. "I'm glad I came to see you today."

"I'm glad you did as well," Sarah Jane smiled as the Doctor turned to close the door."Don't be a stranger, Doctor."

"I won't," the Doctor promised her and before he knew, Sarah Jane had hugged him and stepped inside the TARDIS. Suddenly an idea materialised in his head. "You know, if I plan it right, I think I could take you to that party the Brigadier has every Christmas Day."

"How did you know?" Sarah Jane wondered and then she realised he was holding her invite card. Suddenly, her hand slammed against the TARDIS door, shutting it in the process. "Oh, of course. Well, Doctor, I guess I should make myself look presentable. I take the wardrobe is to my right, down a corridor or two?"

"I know this machine better than I do," the Doctor smiled as Sarah Jane gave a gentle laugh and headed down to get changed.

Realistically he knew he couldn't resume his travelling days with Sarah Jane and that as Donna Noble had pointed out to him he would have to find someone but for now, there was a group of old friends whose company he more than wanted to spend with on this particular Christmas Day.

- The End -


End file.
